A Midnight Picnic
by Sword-of-Dusk
Summary: Ven has a thing for Aqua, but can't bring himself to tell her. When she invites him out for a little midnight meal, he isn't expecting things to turn out the way they do.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's been several years since I've written anything for this site, but I'm eager to get back into the swing of things. To that end, I've decided to add a tale for the woefully lacking Ven/Aqua pairing. I hope my writing is at least passable, though I'm pretty rusty at the writing game. Don't hesitate to tell me if it sucks or something. Of course, telling me it was good would be nice too. As I'm not one for long Author's Notes, let's just get this show on the road, shall we?**

A Midnight Picnic

Ventus had a problem. No, not a problem, but more of a dilemma. It was something that occupied nearly every thought, unless he had something far more pressing to deal with, which wasn't exactly often. After all, being a simple apprentice who was still in training meant that he didn't have any missions to suddenly take his mind off of things. As unfortunate as it was, Ven just had to soldier through his issue, something at which he could do a passing job at. He wasn't trying to soldier through it at the moment though, since he'd decided to retreat to his room after the day's last training session, foregoing dinner for the solitude. Solitude he could use to think about a certain blue haired girl without someone commenting on him spacing out.

"Ven, you awake in there?" asked the voice of a very particular girl from outside, accompanied by a knock on Ven's door. The young apprentice shot up from where he was resting on his bed, a terrified look on his face. The very object of his dilemma was right outside his door! A quick look at his alarm clock told him it was nearly midnight, which made the visit rather strange. Why would she be calling on him this late?

"Ven, are you awake?" the girl asked again, knocking softly once more. Ven debated with himself on whether or not he should open the door for a couple of seconds, eventually choosing to see what she needed. Perhaps it was important.

"The door's open," he called, using his Keyblade to unlock it from his sitting position on the bed. The door swung open, revealing the form of his friend Aqua. She stepped into the room, giving him a curious glance.

"You didn't eat dinner with us earlier," she said. "I thought you might be feeling under the weather."

That was all she wanted to confirm? Ven couldn't help but wonder why she didn't come and see him a few hours before. It wasn't like Aqua to not want to make sure that someone was in good health as soon as she could.

"No, I'm fine. Just wasn't all that hungry, so I figured I'd just go to bed early." This was nowhere near what he actually did, of course. Instead, the last few hours had been spent thinking about Aqua and attempting to decide whether he would ever confess his feelings for his fellow Keybearer.

This attraction to Aqua didn't just show up out of nowhere. He had always been aware that she was pretty and vaguely toyed with the idea of asking her on a date, but one incident in particular had awakened him to a deeper appreciation of her looks and a serious thought to advancing their relationship beyond the realm of "just friends". It had been a normal day, by all accounts, and Ven had gone for a dip in the pool in order to get some swimming practice in. Aqua had been nearby, watching him with mild interest. For some reason, one that Ven thought he'd never be able to discern, his mind generated an image of Aqua sitting by the pool in a skimpy bikini, oiling herself up. Why his mind whipped up that imagery was a mystery, but more important was the fact that it had done so while he was underwater testing how long he could hold his breath.

Temporarily forgetting that he was not in a position to fill in his lungs with oxygen, Ven gasped and subsequently found himself devoid of an air supply. Aqua, having been watching him the whole time, spotted him grasping his throat underneath the water, correctly deducing that Ven was starting the process of drowning. Wasting no time, she leaped into the water to save her friend, helping him breach the surface of the pool, where he then took one huge breath and thanked her for saving his life. Upon looking at her, her hair soaked from the trip underwater and hanging over her face haphazardly, he saw something more than he usually saw when he looked at Aqua. That was the moment he realized that Aqua wasn't just pretty, but that she was beautiful and had positively taken his breath away.

Forcibly pulling himself out of his sudden reverie, Ven brought his attention back to Aqua.

"So is that all you needed, Aqua?" he asked, half hoping she'd leave him to his musings. His current state of mind was not one which he wished to be in while alone with Aqua.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a midnight snack with me," she answered, shifting her gaze from him to some undetermined spot outside his window.

Ven stared at her dumbly for a few seconds, not quite sure how he wanted to respond to her. On the one hand, he was incredibly hungry after passing on dinner. On the other, this would mean that he'd be spending time alone with Aqua…while Master Eraqus and Terra were asleep. The temptation that'd arise from that situation would likely be too great for him to resist, and he'd probably do something stupid that he'd regret in the morning. Such an outcome would be horribly awkward, possibly for the both of them, so he opened his mouth to decline her offer. His stomach had other ideas, however, and growled loudly before he had a chance to utter a word.

"I'll take that as a yes," Aqua said, giggling. Ven could feel his face heating up, both from the embarrassment of having his stomach growl like that in front of Aqua and at how cute she sounded when she giggled.

"Lead the way, my fair lady."

Ven followed Aqua to the kitchen, wondering what to eat. There was a very high chance that whatever leftovers there might have been from the dinner he missed, which would've been his portion of the meal, were thoroughly taken care of by Terra. The guy had a hell of an appetite at times and was fully capable of eating far more than he should be able to at one time. The funny part about that was that Terra hated being thought of as a heavy eater. That inevitably led to Ven and Aqua teasing him about it at nearly every meal.

Chuckling to himself at his thoughts, Ven strolled over to the fridge and opened it, looking over his options.

"I've got a little something prepared for us already," Aqua informed him, holding up a picnic basket and blanket that he somehow failed to spot when he entered the room. "I thought we could turn this into a little picnic. Sounds nice?"

Ven took a moment to answer, finding something odd about Aqua having planned a picnic at this hour.

"You do realize that it's past midnight, right?" Ven asked. Aqua nodded, though there was something about the look on her face that made Ven wonder about the situation even more.

"I know it's late, but what better time to have a picnic? We can sit and admire the stars this way."

"What about admiring the sunrise?" Ven countered. "That's nice to look at too."

"Terra might be up," she said simply, choosing not to elaborate. Ven just looked at her blankly before gesturing for her to lead the way again. Why in the world would Terra possibly being up would be problematic? For one thing, he was hardly ever up at that time of the morning, preferring to get as much sleep as he could without incurring the wrath of Master Eraqus for sleeping in too late. For another, it would be entirely natural for the three friends to share breakfast while looking at the sunrise.

A sudden thought occurred to Ven as he and Aqua made their way to the summit of the hill they always trained on. While it was normally sunsets that would be viewed as romantic, a sunrise could be considered a romantic sight to enjoy with a partner. Did Aqua want to avoid watching the sunrise with him because of that? Was she afraid that he'd get the wrong idea? Thinking on it some more, Ven realized that it could be because of Terra as well. Maybe they had some special routine at sunrise that she didn't want Ven intruding on. That thought brought his mood down considerably.

"Alright, let's set up here," Aqua said, putting down the basket and spreading out the blanket. Ven took a seat on the blanket as Aqua pulled out all of the food she'd packed up in the picnic basket. He barely took note of what she had, his hunger gone. He couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of Terra and Aqua as a couple.

It wasn't a farfetched prospect, to be honest. Terra had already informed Ven that he had feelings for Aqua. It was to be expected, considering that he and Aqua had been Eraqus' only students until Ven showed up. All of the time they had spent alone was bound to result in romantic attraction in at least one party's case. It was a natural outcome. If both of them had developed an attraction for each other, which was entirely possible, then Ven had no chance of ever moving his relationship with Aqua out of the friend zone. Even if Aqua didn't feel for Terra like that, Terra had been here first. In the hypothetical battle for Aqua's affections, he had the right to tell her his feelings first. There was no way that Ven could preempt him, as Terra was like a brother to the young apprentice.

"What's eating you?" Aqua asked, pulling Ven from his thoughts. "You seem preoccupied."

"Nah, just enjoying the view," he lied, trying not to show any hints of his true thoughts. In truth, the thoughts of Aqua and Terra being romantically involved were threatening to overwhelm him. It was so bad that he hadn't noticed that Aqua had taken a seat right next to him, her shoulder nearly touching his.

"They are beautiful, aren't they?"

"Huh?"

"The stars, Ven. Aren't they amazing?"

Ven looked up at the night sky, taking in the sight. He had to agree that it was beautiful, but it wasn't anywhere near as beautiful as Aqua was. As if to confirm this, he turned his gaze on her. The look of awe on her face as she continued to stargaze caused him to smile widely. It was so cute, the way she just stared at the stars, failing to notice anything else around her. His gaze eventually shifted over to her lips, and his breath caught at how soft and inviting they looked. He briefly imagined thowing caution to the wind and just kissing her, ignoring all of the reasons that would be a bad idea. It could end up being the best idea he ever had, or it could turn out to be his worst. There was just no way of knowing what the outcome would be, which made the idea a bad move.

Before he managed to move his gaze elsewhere, Aqua suddenly turned to look at him, that lovely smile of hers that he loved so much lighting her face up. She didn't say anything, apparently content with just looking at him. For his part, Ven had no words either. All he could do was continue staring at her, though he found himself gulping loudly when his eyes darted down to her lips again. He could tell that she was wearing lip gloss, for they shined in the moonlight. It made it incredibly hard to resist the urge to seize her lips with his, and the fact that she was still smiling at him didn't make matters any better. After what felt like an eternity, Ven finally managed to wrench his gaze away and give some attention to the food.

"So, what did you bring for us?"

"Some sandwiches, chips, fresh fruit, and a strawberry-banana smoothie."

"Only one drink?"

"I've got two straws."

Ven gave her a disbelieving look at her answer, but she simply showed him the large cup and two straws, proving her claim. He decided to start munching on some of the chips, needing a distraction of some sort. Aqua picked up a few cherries and ate them slowly, throwing Ven an appraising look after finishing each one. When the last of her handful was gone, Aqua voiced a question to Ven, though she wasn't looking at him this time.

"Ven, what do you think of me?"

The question caught him completely off guard, and he struggled to get his thoughts in order before giving a response.

"You're…well, great," he said lamely, unable to voice anything more for fear of revealing his deepest feelings for her. "I can't imagine life without you."

"Do you mean that in a friendly way, or something more?" she asked, looking at him pointedly. Ven nearly stopped breathing at that one. Did she really just ask that? Did she know of his true feelings, or was it something else that prompted the question. Ven decided to be coy with his answer.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at, Aqua. How am I supposed to mean it?"

"What do you think?" she said, answering his question with one of her own. He had to think for a second before he spoke.

"I think…that you might be looking for a certain answer to your question."

"I might. Think you can figure out which one I want to hear?"

Ven was about to give his response when a sickening thought occurred to him. What if this was all just a dream? Maybe he had fallen asleep earlier and didn't realize it since the dream was so real. Things were playing out far too well for this to be real. There was no way that Aqua liked him like he liked her. It was too good to be true, especially when someone like Terra was around. For Aqua to choose him over Terra would be foolishness.

He decided he wanted out of this dream, as it was too painful to have come so close, only to realize just how far away he was from his greatest desire. In an attempt to awaken himself, he pinched his cheek as hard as he could. Surprisingly, it did nothing more than make his cheek red. Aqua gave him a funny look, apparently not expecting that action.

"Ven, what'd you do that for?" she asked curiously.

"I realized that I'm dreaming, so I'm trying to wake up," he responded, pulling on his bottom lip now. "This has been great and all, but I really should get back to reality. The last thing I need is for Aqua to come into my room and hear me moaning about her or something."

"How exactly would I do that when I'm right here?"

"You're just Dream Aqua. All of this," he indicated the setting around them, "is just a dream of mine. A great dream, yeah, but still a dream. The real Aqua would never do something like this, not for me at least."

"And why not? Why can't I do something like this for you?"

"Well, Terra, for one thing. He's older, stronger, funnier, and so much more than me. I'm just a kid."

By this time, Ven had progressed to pulling his face at odd angles, and Aqua had had enough. She took Ven's hands in her own and demanded his attention.

"Listen to me, this is not a dream. It's real, very real. I truly wanted us to spend this time together."

"But why?" Ven asked stupidly, still convinced that he was dreaming.

"I know all about your feelings for me, Ven," she revealed, looking at him seriously. "I've known for quite a while now. I see the way you look at me, and the way you stay around Terra when you're unsure of being alone with me. I see how you try to do things for me, even if it's something so small and trivial. You're like an open book to me.

"When you chose not to come to dinner, I came up with this picnic idea. It was the perfect way to get you alone so we could talk, without the risk of Terra popping up unexpectedly. I wanted you to know that I like you too. I haven't had much of a chance to tell you since you're so intent on keeping your distance."

Ven was speechless. Aqua had just told him the one thing he wanted to hear so badly, and it was threatening to break his brain. If this really wasn't a dream, then he had to be the luckiest guy alive. Terra's place in all this still lingered in his mind, and he had to voice his thoughts.

"Terra likes you too, you know," he said. "He actually told me before I could tell him that I liked you. That's what made me so reluctant to say anything to you. I felt like Terra deserved the chance to tell you about his feelings first."

"That's so sweet of you, but what made you assume I'd prefer Terra over you?"

"It's like I said, he's just…"

"Don't sell yourself short," Aqua interrupted him. "You're not inferior to Terra in any way, shape, or form. In fact, you're actually cuter than him." This made Ven blush uncontrollably.

"I'm younger too. Doesn't that bother you?"

"I happen to like my guys younger, for your information. You're just my type, so stop trying to convince me otherwise."

"So…what happens now?" Ven asked with uncertainty. He was at a complete loss as to what to do next. "Where do we go from here?"

"For starters, you can kiss me. Seems like a good way to put our new relationship into gear," she said with a sly smile.

Ven wasted no time in taking her advice, doing what he had been dreaming of doing for months. Their kiss was filled with the kind of passion that only two teenagers could produce, but it wasn't overwhelming. When they pulled apart, both sported dazed looks on their faces.

"That was….amazing," Ven said, his mind in a daze.

"Yes, I have to agree," Aqua said in return, blushing furiously.

"I think my technique could use some more work, though," he said, a roguish grin appearing.

"Mine too. I think we can help each other with that."

Their picnic lay forgotten as the two locked lips again, making quite a bit of headway in improving their technique.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_So here we are again. I was originally gonna leave this as a one shot, but I eventually decided to go ahead and add another part. I think this is where I'll leave it be, but an idea for a third part is swimming around in my head, so who knows. If someone has a desire for me to continue, please let me know, preferably in a review. Alright, enough of me, eh? Let's get to the story.  
><em>

For the first time in a while, Ven could honestly and truly say that he was happy. It wasn't that he wasn't a happy guy usually, but he had never reached this level of contentment, until now, that is. His romance with Aqua was going even better than he had dreamed it might, which threatened to blow his mind every time he thought about her. His days were still filled with training, sometimes consisting of sparring with Terra, other times he struggled to get through Master Eraqus' lectures. His nights, however, were solely dominated by Aqua. She had decided to make a midnight picnic a regular occurrence for them, which Ven had no objections to, partially because he loved the nighttime and the starry sky that could be seen, but mostly because it gave him and Aqua an opportunity to spend time together without any interruptions. Amusingly, the picnic baskets that Aqua packed were rarely finished, as they generally spent a short amount of time eating and most of the night kissing or simply holding onto each other, enjoying the way they felt in the other's arms. For Ven, this was nothing but pure bliss, and if the looks Aqua constantly gave him during these nights were any indication, she felt the same way.

One of the most interesting things about the relationship, at least to Ven, was just how forward Aqua tended to be at times. While Ven certainly didn't need any help when it came to playing the romantic, it was almost shocking at how often Aqua would be the first to say something to set the mood, initiate a passionate kiss, or even say something suggestive. It was a side of her that Ven would have never believed existed, yet here she was proving otherwise. If he was honest with himself, Ven had to admit it was incredibly sexy. Life couldn't be much better than it was now. Unfortunately, even if life couldn't get any better, it could certainly get worse, and Ven was well aware that something he'd been hoping to avoid would have to be dealt with at some point. All he could do was hope that his best friend wouldn't hate him after all was said and done.

Six months had passed since that fateful picnic, and what should've been a normal day was anything but for Ven. He was currently pacing in his room, worried beyond all belief at what the rest of his day would bring. One of the things on his mind was his impending meeting with Aqua that night. They normally didn't get together on Friday nights, opting to spend some time with Terra before eventually going to sleep when it got late. Tonight, however, would be different. Aqua had managed to get him out of Terra's line of sight long enough to ask him to meet in her room just a little before midnight. She didn't tell him exactly why, merely saying that she needed to ask him something important. He tried to pry the question out of her, but she was steadfast in her refusal to say what it was. He wanted to object, but the smile she flashed him made the objection die in his throat and he let her walk away. That still left Ven to ponder exactly what it was she wanted to ask and why she couldn't just ask him then and there.

The other issue plaguing him was the earlier words of his best friend, Terra. Ven was well aware of his friend's crush on Aqua and had thought about how best to let the older boy know that she was no longer available. This became Ven's top priority that day when Terra said that he'd finally tell Aqua how he felt about her, something that would only lead to disaster if he were allowed to go through with his plan. Friendships would most certainly be ruined, something that would break the hearts of all three apprentices. While letting Terra know the truth now would lessen the sting he was going to feel, Ven hoped that being honest might help to avoid a complete breakdown of civility between the two. So he waited in his room, pacing like crazy, wishing that Terra would hurry up and come meet him. Not five seconds after having this thought, the teen in questioned finally entered the room.

"Alright, I'm here. What's this super important thing that you couldn't wait to tell me?" Terra asked with a hint of impatience in his voice. "I gotta go find Aqua before I lose my nerve."

"Um, well, it's actually about that confession of yours," Ven started, suddenly losing confidence. Terra was looking far too excited about talking to Aqua, and he was about to be brought down hard. Ven almost wanted to go tell Aqua to forget about him and get together with Terra, just so the older teen could be happy.

"What about it? Don't tell me you think she's gonna turn me down. There's no way."

"That isn't entirely true. If she already had a boyfriend, you'd have no chance."

Terra mulled that one over for a second before shaking his head. "She doesn't, though. I'm free to go for it, and I know she'll return my feelings."

Ven hesitated before speaking again, carefully considering his approach. He eventually just settled on being direct, thinking that Terra would appreciate that more. "You're wrong, Terra. She does have a boyfriend."

"Does she now? Exactly who would that be, Ven?" Terra asked, looking like he really couldn't guess. Ven gaped at him in disbelief, wondering how he could even ask that. Who else could it really be?

"It's…me. I'm her boyfriend." Ven desperately wanted to stare at the floor as he said this, nearly unable to look his friend in the face. He ignored that desire, feeling that Terra would hate him even more if he couldn't maintain eye contact. What he saw perplexed him, for there was no anger in Terra's eyes, but rather barely contained mirth.

"I was worried for a second there. Thought you might've been serious," Terra said. Anger flared up within Ven, upset that his friend wouldn't believe him.

"What, you don't think I'm good enough?" he spat out heatedly. "You think that Aqua wouldn't go for a scrawny kid like me? Well she did! She chose me, not you!"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Ven reigned in his anger and stared at Terra. This was not how he wanted to let his friend know the truth, but he let his emotions go like a fool and just had to be far too blunt about it. Of course, he felt that Terra shouldn't have assumed he was joking, which hurt him a little deep down. Did Terra really see him as inferior?

"So…you're serious then?" Terra asked calmly, his voice betraying nothing of his actual feelings. Ven could only nod in response, unable to speak again. Terra may not have been showing any kind of hint to what he was currently feeling, but the tension was woefully apparent and Ven had the impression that his friendship with Terra might have just gone down the drain.

"How long?" came the next query from Terra, and Ven could sense that this was the last question he'd be asked. He also knew that his answer was going to make this all the more worse, and he silently berated himself for not having this conversation back when he started dating Aqua.

"It's been about six months now. Look, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Terra," Ven rushed to explain, hoping to salvage things somehow. "I just didn't know how to break it to you. I was afraid you'd hate me."

Several agonizing minutes passed in which Terra did nothing other than stare blankly at Ven, as if working something out in his head. When Ven finally grew too uncomfortable with the silence and opened his mouth to break it, Terra abruptly walked out of the room, remaining deathly quiet. Ven could do nothing more than stand there, watching Terra's retreating form with a broken look on his face.

* * *

><p>As midnight rapidly approached, Ven made his way to Aqua's room, taking care to be as quiet as possible. After his earlier talk with Terra, he had a feeling the older teen would still be awake, and running into him would be a very bad idea right now. The last thing Ven needed was for Terra to see him going into Aqua's room this late at night. He still felt horrible about that entire conversation, though also somewhat amazed that he was able to destroy four years of friendship in less than ten minutes. If he was lucky, however, this would only be a temporary derailing rather than a full blown demolition. Only time would tell if that's the wa things would go.<p>

Doing his best to shake those thoughts away, Ven stood in front of Aqua's door, immensely nervous. It occurred to him at that point that he'd never actually been in her room after sundown. There was a strange feeling in his chest at the thought of being alone with her in there, different from being alone with her on their spot at the top of the hill. It felt…intimate, in a way that was different from the usual. For a split second he contemplated what would happen once he stepped inside, but he quickly chose to knock on the door and go with the flow.

"It's open, Ven," Aqua said from within.

Taking a deep breath, Ven opened her door and walked inside, where his brain promptly ceased functioning. Sitting on the bed was Aqua, wearing a blue tank top with matching shorts that showcased her long legs. She gave him a shy smile and blushed furiously, apparently pleased with his reaction. The smile eventually gave way to soft laughter as Ven did nothing more than stand there, his mouth agape.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" Aqua asked. Ven's brain finally managed to restart upon hearing this, and he gave her a sheepish look.

"Sorry. You just look so…amazing," he said. "Not that you don't look amazing every day, but this is…"

"I know what you mean. Come here, sit with me."

Ven walked over and took a seat, both curious and nervous in equal measure. He could already sense that this would be a far different experience from his usual nights with Aqua, the lack of food being merely one hint to that.

"So, I bet you're wondering why you're here tonight," Aqua started. Ven nodded, waiting for her to continue. "This is probably going to sound really selfish of me, but I just really wanted to be close to you tonight."

"How's that selfish? I want to be close to you too," Ven responded, looking at her square in the eye. She smiled brightly at his words but shook her head, indicating that he didn't have the big picture.

"I want you to stay with me tonight," she stated simply, watching him carefully for his reaction.

"You want me to sleep in here? With you?" he asked dumbly, not quite registering her request.

"Yeah. Like I said, it must sound selfish of me to ask that of you out of nowhere. It's just…I haven't been sleeping well." Aqua didn't offer any explanation beyond that, though Ven could guess what she was getting at. She wanted him to comfort her. Simple enough, but that still didn't explain why she had to be so coy about this. All she had to do was just let him know earlier. He would've done whatever was necessary to help her out. Even as inexperienced as Ven was in matters like this, he could tell that there was something that Aqua was holding back. Instead of pressing her on it, he simply nodded his head in understanding.

Aqua gave him a quick kiss in thanks and then climbed under the bedcovers, motioning for Ven to do the same. He stood up to remove his clothes, getting only as far as his shirt before remembering that he slept in only his t-shirt and boxers. He looked at Aqua questioningly, unsure if he should continue. Did she want him to wear pajamas or something?

"It's not like I expected you to sleep in your clothes. That'd be silly," she said with a grin. Ven could feel the blush on his cheeks as he finished removing his attire, leaving only his undergarments, and got into bed with Aqua.

It was a strange feeling, being with her like this. He wasn't even sure what he should be doing, though Aqua quickly fixed that by placing his arms around her as she laid her head down on his chest. They spent the next hour and a half like that, talking about whatever came to mind. Though the conversation flowed easily, Ven still felt as if there was something he didn't know. This feeling became more pronounced as the two of them got more and more tired and spent increasing periods of time being silent during which Ven noticed her seeming reluctance to go to sleep. Finally, after a full ten minutes in which neither said a word, he decided to see what was keeping her awake.

"Aqua, what's the matter? I can see how tired you are, but you keep fighting it. I thought I was here to help you sleep."

"I know, and I'm glad you're with me, but…" she trailed off, not looking at him.

"Just tell me what it is. If you keep it bottled up, it's just going to keep bothering you," he prodded, struggling to keep from yawning. She sat up and turned to face him, giving him a look that he couldn't quite place. Was that fear?

"I don't want to scare you. It's probably nothing anyway."

"It isn't nothing if it's keeping you up at night. Tell me what it is, please," he pleaded. She remained silent for a few seconds longer before finally acquiescing to his request.

"I've been having this horrible dream about you. In it, you're fighting someone, though I can't see who it is. They're shrouded in darkness, like a shadow or something. I try to help you, but it's like I'm paralyzed and can't move a muscle. I'm forced to watch as you get cut down, while your attacker just laughs. I can even see the moment the light leaves your eyes, since the last thing you do is look at me. After that, the shadow walks over to me and laughs again, before striking me too. That's when I wake up, and I can never fall back asleep afterward."

It took Ven several moments before he was able to speak, understanding just how much seeing someone you cared about die every night in your dreams could affect you. The only thing he felt needed to be asked was, "How long?"

"About two weeks now," Aqua answered, her eyes starting to tear up. "Ven, it scares me. What if I'm seeing the future? I don't want you to die. I don't think I could take it."

As Aqua began to cry, Ven was unsure of what to do to comfort her. To his credit, this only lasted for a few seconds, after which he held onto Aqua tightly and assured her that it was all just a dream. He punctuated his assurances with soft kisses to Aqua's temple, hoping to grant her some measure of calm as he wasn't used to seeing her so vulnerable. After his fifth kiss, Aqua took control of things and seized his lips with her own, surprising him with the ferocity she exhibited. The surprise didn't persist for too long, and Ven soon started to reciprocate just as strongly.

Using the knowledge that came from many sessions of making out on the picnic blanket, Ven broke off the kiss and nibbled at the spot just below Aqua's right ear, well aware that it was a particularly sensitive spot for the girl. As he predicted, and had already seen happen countless times, she melted into him like butter. Always amused by the way she reacted when he did that, Ven laughed. This was usually the part where she got him back by targeting his weak spot, which she knew extremely well by now, but she shocked him once more when she didn't. Instead, she pushed him down and straddled him as she divested herself of her tank top.

Ven's brain almost shut off again at seeing the lacy, pink bra she sported, but he managed to retain his power of thought. He half expected her underwear to be blue, but pink was nice too. He begun to imagine Aqua in several other colors, but his brain actually did shut down again when she removed the bra. What little awareness he had left was essentially useless in the presence of the two milky white orbs in front of him. That awareness up and died the minute she grabbed his hands and placed them firmly on said orbs, making him squeeze for added pleasure, or so he would guess later on. It wasn't until she started kissing him again, more hungrily than the first time, that he had anything resembling a coherent thought. It wasn't much more than a belated realization of where his hands currently were, and it only caused him to yelp embarrassingly, not that Aqua seemed to care. She merely used the action to her advantage, inserting her tongue into the opening Ven so kindly provided. From that point onward, Ven just stopped trying to think about anything and enjoyed the experience.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Ven awoke from what he felt was the best night of sleep he'd ever had. For a good few minutes he simply laid there, thinking back on what preceded his excellent rest. Prior to the previous night, he hadn't done anything other than kissing with Aqua, but the touching was strangely exhilarating, despite the fact that it required less real input than kissing did. Ven was in awe of how firm, yet supple Aqua's breasts were, having always assumed they'd be quite squishy. Even more amazing was how they exchanged no words throughout the whole deal, the both of them communicating all their thoughts with looks alone. Ven knew, absolutely knew, that they had reached a new level in their relationship, and the look she gave him before finally falling asleep told him that there would definitely be repeats of the night in the future.<p>

A quick glance out of the window alerted Ven to the rapidly approaching sunrise, which meant that it was time to return to his own room. Disentangling himself from Aqua, who had been embracing him rather firmly, he quickly pulled on his clothes and exited the room, though not before planting a final kiss on Aqua's forehead and admiring the content look on her sleeping face. Once out in the hallway, he quietly made his way back to his room, hoping to get there before he was seen. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be, as Terra came into view from around the corner, holding a plate of pancakes and sporting a tired look. He immediately became alert upon spotting Ven, and the younger teen wasn't really sure what to expect.

"Good morning," Ven greeted, deciding to see how things would play out. Terra looked as if he might respond, but then frowned and pushed past Ven with nary a word. It didn't take a genius to see that Terra realized that the direction Ven was coming from was neither his room nor the kitchen. The blonde haired teen thought about calling out to his friend, but dismissed the idea just as quickly as it came. If there was a good time to talk to Terra, it certainly wasn't after being seen coming from Aqua's room. All he could do was hope that Terra would eventually cool off and accept the way things went.

As Ven entered his room, he couldn't help but wonder about what the future would bring, somewhat influenced by Aqua's words. There were many possibilities, ranging from eventually becoming a Keyblade Master and getting his own students to teach, to deciding to live a quiet life, away from all the trouble possessing a Keyblade tended to bring. He even considered his premature death at the hands of some unknown enemy, like Aqua's dream seemed to predict. He didn't dwell on that for too long, of course. What he did dwell on was just how many ways his life could go, but there was one single constant in all of his possible futures: Aqua. He knew that it was probably a little presumptuous to be so sure of that, but he was. Wherever he ended up, Aqua would be with him.

And that, he believed, was all that mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

_I'll save my A/N until the end this time. For now, enjoy the third and final part of _A Midnight Picnic.

* * *

><p>As time ticked ever onward, Ven found himself becoming increasingly nervous about his situation with Terra. It wasn't that Ven was afraid of Terra attacking him or anything. No matter the situation, the younger boy knew that Terra would never go that far. No, his nervousness was born from the thought of what might happen if Master Eraqus got wind of the relationship between him and Aqua. Sure, there was never any indication that Eraqus would really mind, but he might disapprove if such a relationship had a negative impact on the trio's training. It was that potential issue that had Ven nervous, because Terra's attitude toward Ven had slowly begun to have an effect on their interactions during training, as well as outside of it.<p>

It began a week after the first night he spent with Aqua. He and Terra were training together as usual, though there was no friendly banter as there would have been under normal circumstances. Even so, their sparring session proceeded as they generally did, until Ven started to get the upper hand. He pressed his sudden advantage, putting Terra on the defensive as he'd never done before. Ven thought that he would finally win a sparring round again, something he hadn't done in a while. That thought was shattered when a strange aura suddenly appeared around Terra and he lashed out with a move Ven hadn't seen before, some sort of energy blast. It was only due to his quick reflexes that Ven avoided the attack, but the sudden move shook up both boys nonetheless. Ven could only stand there and gawk at Terra, sure that the older teen had just utilized the power of darkness, something Eraqus constantly warned them not to do, and was completely shocked that such a power was unleashed during a simple sparring session. Terra, meanwhile, did little more than stand there and attempt to stutter out some kind of apology before running off as fast as he could. The look on his face revealed someone who was terrified of what he'd just done.

Now a full two months later, Terra had avoided having any practice matches with Ven, asking Aqua to take his place. While Ven didn't have any problems sparring with Aqua, he couldn't stop worrying about the possibility of his friendship with Terra being completely destroyed. In addition, Master Eraqus would soon start to question Terra's increasing detachment from his friends. That would likely lead to an awkward conversation with his Eraqus that Ven didn't really want to have and an outcome he didn't even want to guess at. Ven felt that the only sensible course of action would be to mend his relationship with Terra. Now…just how would he do so?

That night, Ven found himself wandering the halls aimlessly. He initially set out to go to Aqua's room, but he decided to bypass her door when he reached it, opting to keep walking around alone. Aqua would likely give him sound advice if he asked, but there was a great chance that he'd go inside, see her beautiful face, and get wrapped up in something other than his problems. On any other night that'd be a welcome thing, but not tonight. Honestly, he didn't know what made him feel that way, but he went with it and just kept walking.

He wandered about for fifteen minutes before heading outside, thinking that some stargazing would be a good idea. He headed to his favorite spot on the nearby hill, the same spot he and Aqua had their first midnight date. When he approached the top of the hill, he spotted the form of Terra, someone he hadn't expected to see up and around at this time of night. Ven's first thought was to turn around and find somewhere else to sit, but he stopped himself before getting too far. He needed to confront Terra at some point, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so. Mustering his courage, Ven walked toward his erstwhile friend, hoping to finally mend their broken friendship.

"Terra, can we talk?" Ven asked, getting straight to the point.

"There isn't much to talk about, is there?" Terra said, deigning to keep facing forward instead of looking at Ven.

"Of course there is. We're best friends, remember? Can't we talk about this like adults?"

"A best friend wouldn't keep the truth from me for so long just because he was afraid."

Ven momentarily averted his gaze, aware that Terra had a point. That didn't mean that the older boy's attitude was excusable, and Ven was going to make sure he knew that.

"So I was wrong for that, yeah. That doesn't give you the right to go ballistic on me during training! You almost took my head off!"

Terra said nothing for several moments, looking like an incredibly lifelike statue when combined with his lack of movement. Ven was desperate for some kind of response, especially since Terra had utilized the power of darkness during that sparring session. That wasn't something to take lightly.

"Ven…I'm sorry about that," Terra finally said, still refusing to look at the younger boy. "I lost control of myself. It's not something I'm proud of."

"Well, yeah, I'd hope you wouldn't be. Unless you really hated me that much," Ven added with a slight smirk. "I guess I could understand wanting to get rid of me and being proud of your skills then."

"Not something to joke about, Ven. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ended up hurting you, or worse."

"Wow, that sounded like you were actually letting your emotions out." Ven made a show of looking around as if expecting something. "I don't see any explosions around, so I guess the world isn't ending."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Terra deadpanned, finally turning around and gracing Ven with a grin. "Yes, I'm such a stoic guy that meteors should rain down whenever I laugh, right?"

"Well, maybe just a few comets. No need to wreck the place. Master Eraqus would still probably forbid you from even chuckling ever again."

Both boys shared a laugh at that, Ven realizing just how much he missed such interaction with his best friend. This was a good step in repairing their relationship, but now he needed to get back to being serious. He still had one immensely important thing to say.

"Terra…I'm sorry about all of this," he started. "I really should've came out and told you that Aqua and I were a couple, and I didn't mean to hurt you. The whole reason I kept quiet is that I didn't know how to break it to you without causing you pain and I was trying to come up with the best way to reveal the truth. I hope you can forgive me."

"I should be the one apologizing, actually," Terra responded, somewhat surprising Ven. "I really acted like a jerk to you and I shouldn't have been so childish. You had every right to tell Aqua how you felt about her, regardless of how I felt. Early bird gets the worm, right?"

Ven nodded in agreement, but had to make a slight correction to Terra's thinking. "You're mostly right, except how Aqua felt plays a part as well. Actually, if she hadn't told me that she felt the same way about me that I did about her, I would've let you confess your feelings first. I kept thinking that you had the right, since you've known her longer than I have."

"Sounds just like you, Ven. The eternally nice guy who can't ever seem to have a selfish thought." Terra smiled warmly, ruffling Ven's hair. "If only I was more like you."

"Like me?" Ven asked, caught off guard. "Why would you want to be like me? You've got everything I have and then some. If anything, I want to be more like you."

"So you want to be a thickheaded, jealous idiot? Not so sure I believe that, buddy. I mean, I spent the last eight months refusing to talk to you because of my jealousy. I couldn't believe that she chose you over me, and it was eating me up inside, making me question my worth over yours. What kind of a friend even starts thinking that?"

"Terra…."

"You wanna know what's worse? About halfway through those eight months, I managed to realize how horrible my attitude was and knew I needed to apologize, but I was so ashamed of myself by that point that I just kept sulking. Here I am looking down on you for not having the guts to tell me about you and Aqua right away, and I can't even bring myself to utter a simple apology. Even better, I end up nearly blasting you with darkness because I'm angry at myself. How's that for guts, eh?"

"I'd say we both made mistakes. At this point, how about we agree to put this whole thing behind us and go back to the way things were?" Ven looked up at Terra hopefully, quickly adding, "Just warn me the next time you need to blow off some anger. I don't fancy being a potential target again."

Terra laughed heartily, once again ruffling the younger boy's hair. "I'd say you got a deal. Now, I think we've spent enough time out here putting our emotions on display. I'm gonna head to bed and get some rest. Goodnight, Ven."

Terra made his way back to the castle, leaving Ven on the hilltop by himself. He considered heading back to the castle as well, but ultimately decided to do the stargazing he initially came outside for, though he wouldn't be plagued by questions of what to do now. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, allowing him to breathe easy once again. It wouldn't be quite the same as before, as he couldn't just forget the eight months of moody and jealous Terra, but Ven could forgive his friend for that. After all, everyone had their flaws. The important thing was that life could return to normal.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Ven was painfully aware that things were not quite as normal as he hoped they'd be. It wasn't due to any lasting issues with Terra, despite the fact that some of their interactions were still a bit awkward and likely would be for another few days until both were completely sure that the other held no grudge.<p>

No, this new break in normalcy came courtesy of Aqua. It wasn't a relationship issue, or at least Ven didn't think it was. Aqua still threw him her usual affectionate looks or pulled him off to somewhere quiet in order to kiss him senseless, but holding an extended conversation with him seemed to be quite the challenge for her now. She would talk to him normally for a few minutes, and then go strangely quiet, as if she had run out of anything interesting to say but didn't want to leave his presence just yet. When Ven would ask what was wrong, correctly guessing that there was something else she wanted to say, Aqua would look like she was going to tell him, but ultimately just brush it off and finally head off elsewhere. It was completely baffling, to say the least.

Despite the weirdness of it all, Ven chose not to press the issue too much. Whatever Aqua wanted to tell him, she would do it when she was ready. Of course, the fact that she needed to actually be ready to say whatever was on her mind made Ven wonder just what she kept trying to verbalize. When he couldn't come up with anything likely, he considered asking someone for their thoughts on the matter. Such an idea was quickly discarded, as unless he was willing to travel to another world just for some girl advice, a feat which couldn't even be done unless Master Eraqus unlocked the Lanes Between for him, his options were undesirable. It would be too strange to try asking Eraqus about it, not to mention a possibly poor idea, while Ven wasn't too keen on involving Terra for fear of it being a little cruel to him. They may have patched things up, but Terra clearly still had feelings for Aqua and Ven wasn't about to talk about anything relationship related with the older boy and risk rubbing it in.

His patience finally paid off after a whole month of watching Aqua struggle with her words like a shy child. He was coming out of the shower after a particularly grueling training session with Terra, clad in nothing but a towel, when she cornered him before he could enter his room.

"Ven, wait up a moment," she called to him as she walked over to him from the direction of her room. "I need to ask you something."

"What's up?"

She was silent for a moment, taking in the sight of him in only a towel. Ven couldn't help the blush that sprung to life on his face.

"Earth to Aqua, you had a question for me?" he prompted after a while.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry. I…well, I wanted to know…if you can see us being together for a long time."

The question immediately put him on guard, for it wasn't one he expected to hear. He had long since decided that she'd be a key part of his life, but he never actually told her that for fear of sounding way too sure of things. Now here she was asking him for his opinion, and he couldn't decide if she was comparing his feelings to hers or was about to break up with him and had some odd desire to know before dropping the hammer. Either way, he felt like being cagey with his answer.

Then he recalled the month of failed attempts to tell him something and realized that this was most likely a serious inquiry. He decided on total honesty for his response.

"Don't be too freaked out when I say this, but I've been sure about us for some time now."

A look of surprise crossed her features. "Really? A little presumptuous, aren't we?"

"Couldn't help it," Ven said. "I'm not even certain why I was so sure, but that's the truth. I…I love you Aqua, and I can't imagine not being with you."

Ven's heart nearly stopped right then. It was the first time he'd ever told Aqua that he loved her, and he hadn't meant to say it right then. He was aiming to say those three little words during a much more romantic moment, not when he was standing in the hallway and nearly naked. It was too late to do anything about it now, though it wasn't like he really wanted to. In fact, this was a very good thing. He had wanted to say those words many times before, but never managed to do so, usually because he couldn't decide if it was too soon. He kept putting it off, not wanting to scare Aqua away since she hadn't said it yet. Now, the words had been let loose, and he waited to see what the results would be.

For her part, Aqua just stared at him. It wasn't a horrified look she had plastered on her face, or even a happy one. Her face was blank, betraying no hint of her emotions. It made Ven wonder if he'd screwed up. Maybe she wanted to be the one that said it first. She was the one setting the pace of the relationship after all, seeing as Ven wasn't exactly well versed in such matters.

"Come to my room at the usual time," she finally said, her voice a bit husky. She walked off toward the kitchen without waiting for a confirmation, her hips swaying hypnotically. Ven was at a loss for words.

"What just happened?" he asked the empty hallway once she was out of his sight.

Unsurprisingly, he received no reply.

* * *

><p>Around ten minutes to midnight, Ven left his room and headed for Aqua's. He was clad in only a light t-shirt and boxers, having long since learned that his clothes were an unnecessary addition. He usually made the trip with excitement, but this time he was extremely nervous rather than excited, much like the very first time he visited her room. Something told him that tonight would be different than all of his prior visits to her room, though he didn't know exactly how different things would be. All he could do was see how it all played out.<p>

Reaching Aqua's door, Ven held off from knocking for a few moments, using the time to try and calm his nerves. It wouldn't do to go in all twitchy and unsure, possibly making a fool of himself. Not that Aqua would be turned off or anything, since she'd once confessed to finding him extremely cute when he was acting like that.

After managing to achieve a somewhat calm state, Ven gave the door a soft knock. "Aqua, it's me."

"It's open."

Ven opened the door and stepped inside, whereupon he lost all cognitive functions.

Aqua sat cross-legged on her bed, wearing a blue nightgown that was sheer enough for him to spy the black lace underneath, and had a soft smile on her face that was accompanied by the most pronounced blush Ven had ever seen her sport. Her lips were gleaming in the faint light, which his slowly restarting brain realized was provided by candlelight, and were begging to be kissed. A red rose in her hair completed the picture of beauty, leaving Ven unable to speak.

"Do you like the way I look?" she asked, after a full minute of Ven's silent staring.

"Yeah, definitely," he croaked out, his voice cracking. He winced at the way he sounded, though Aqua's smile just brightened.

"Well, stop standing over there and come join me already!"

Ven took a tentative step forward, making sure his motor skills weren't shot, before slowly walking over to Aqua's bed and sitting down. He didn't do anything else, waiting for a cue from Aqua.

"Ven, it won't be long before I get to take my Mark of Mastery test," she started, looking him directly in the eye.

"I know. I've heard Master Eraqus talking about it, so I figured it'd be coming up sooner or later." He gave her his full attention, not sure why she brought it up.

"If I pass my test, I'll become a Keyblade Master. Do you know what that means?"

"You'll be able to travel the worlds, right?" Ven saw that as a good thing, but the serious way in which she brought this up made him wonder if she saw it differently. That thought made him quickly add, "But you can also stay here if you want. I think I remember Master Eraqus saying something like that."

"Yes, I could, but I do want to see what else is out there. That means I probably won't be here all that much."

It clicked for Ven right then. If Aqua passed her test, she'd leave the Land of Departure and go traversing the many worlds. That meant their time together would be a lot rarer.

"Do you understand why I'm saying this?" she asked.

"Yeah, I get it. We'll have to have a mostly long distance relationship." Ven gave that some thought, unconvinced of the effectiveness of such a relationship. "Exactly how well would that work?"

"I'd like to think we'd get along fine, but I actually have another idea."

Now Ven was confused. What kind of idea did she have?

"Ven, I love you," she continued, startling him into silence. "I've been trying to say it for a while now, but I didn't want to pressure you into saying it before you were ready. Since you said it earlier though, I can say it freely now. I love you."

Ven was ecstatic. Aqua said she loved him, and she'd been waiting to say it for some time. This was great.

"I love you too," Ven said, feeling like he wanted to cry. His emotions were running rampant.

The two shared a long and passionate kiss, driven by the intensity of the moment. When they pulled apart, Aqua looked him apprehensively.

"Ven, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you, but I don't want you to agree because you think it'll please me."

"I'm listening."

"I was thinking that we could take things to the next level…if you think you're up for it."

Ven looked at her blankly. Surely she couldn't actually mean what he thought she meant. He figured he should get some clarification on that one. "What exactly is the next level?"

"Come on Ven, you know what I'm talking about," Aqua answered, blushing furiously. "Are you really gonna make say it out loud?"

"Are you for real?" Ven asked, genuinely amazed that the conversation went in this direction.

Aqua nodded. "Yes, I'm for real. I know you might think yourself a little young, but…"

"I'll be sixteen soon enough, so I'm not worried about being too young," Ven explained. "I'm just surprised that you brought it up. Isn't it the guy that usually asks first?"

"If you believe what Terra says. Girls are perfectly capable of asking first though, trust me."

The conversation paused for a minute, both trying to collect their thoughts and achieve a semblance of calmness.

"So what happens now?" Aqua asked, breaking the silence. Ven opened his mouth to respond, but closed it immediately, saying nothing. He knew what his answer was, but he didn't want to simply say it. Actions spoke louder than words, so he pulled her in close and kissed her again. It wasn't a frenzied or overly passionate kiss, but a delicate one, one that he hoped conveyed his answer accurately. When she slipped out of her nightgown, he knew he succeeded.

The passage of time seemed to come to a halt as Ven struggled to undo Aqua's bra, his fingers shaking from anticipation. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he vaguely contemplated slowing down and savoring the moment, but it was too late for that. The minute he freed Aqua's breasts from their lacy prison, she worked her way out of her panties, stripped him of his t-shirt and boxers, and told him in a whisper, "Ready to go to the next level?"

The only sounds either of them made after that were moans of pleasure and their own names. It was an experience that Ven would forever remember.

* * *

><p>An hour later, an exhausted Ven was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was completely drained, having had the night of his life with Aqua. He was surprised that he managed to find the will to perform more than once, considering his lack of stamina. That would hopefully change, if he had his way.<p>

"That was…amazing," Aqua said, lying beside him. "I wasn't prepared for it to hurt so much the first time though."

"You sure you're okay?" Ven asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. The pain was more than worth it."

Ven sported his brightest smile, happy to have pleased her.

"Hey, there's still something I wanted to ask you," Aqua said after a few moments. "I would've mentioned it earlier but I kinda skipped over it seeing as we…you know."

"Yeah, I was there, remember?" Ven joked. "Seriously though, what's on your mind?"

"If I pass my Mark of Mastery exam and become a Keyblade Master, do you think you'd like to come with me on my journey?"

"Me and you? Together?" Ven hadn't even considered that possibility.

"Yeah. I'd have to clear it with Master Eraqus of course, but I'm sure I could complete your training myself."

Ven barely held in the urge to jump up and down in excitement. "I'll pack my bags now!"

Aqua laughed at Ven's enthusiasm, her own excitement building. "Good. I might've had to stay here until you became a Master if you'd said no."

"What about Terra?" Ven asked, thinking about his friend. "He'll be left here alone, and probably depressed."

"I'm sure we'll take our test at the same time. He'll pass it too, and we can all leave together," Aqua replied.

"As long as he doesn't get in the way of our quality time, I'm fine with that."

"Then that's the plan. I'll ask Master Eraqus when I get the chance."

Ven was in the best mood he'd ever been in. His future with Aqua was looking great, his friendship with Terra was back and growing stronger than before, and he was inching ever closer to becoming a Master himself.

Life was good, and could only get better from here.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_So we've reached the end of this story. I hadn't initially intended to go to three parts, but I'm glad I did. Feels complete now, even if it isn't a multi chapter epic. This story marked my first foray into fan fiction after a long hiatus, and I hope to remain for quite a while this time around. Hopefully you guys want me to as well._

_Regarding this story, while it is indeed done, I think I'll write up a companion piece or two. Maybe one to show how Ven and Aqua's relationship built up over the eight month time period, and one covering what happens after the end of this. If you've played Birth by Sleep, you probably have an inkling of how things will play out. I won't say right now. You'll just have to wait and see. It may be a while though, so don't worry about it too much. For now, I'm gonna shift my focus to my other project. _

_So, that's that. Leave a review if you found this to be an enjoyable, if short, journey. Also, how do you guys feel about a Roxas/Olette pairing? I might give that a try. Anyway, I will see you guys later. Happy reading!_


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